Kale, Apple and Pancetta Salad
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This flavor-packed autumn salad, with kale, radicchio, and a zingy maple vinaigrette, will have even the biggest salad skeptics coming back for more!
Made with shredded kale, radicchio, crisp pancetta, tart apples, pecans, and a zingy maple vinaigrette, this gorgeous fall salad, adapted from Food & Wine, is a real flavor powerhouse. Even my husband, who isn’t usually a fan of salads (especially kale), can’t get enough of it. For a heartier meal, you can easily add some poached chicken or grilled chicken—it’s a versatile dish that works as a side or a main course.
What You’ll Need To Make Kale, Apple & Pancetta Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine the olive oil and pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat.
Cook, stirring frequently, until pancetta is golden and crispy.
Strain the pan drippings into a medium bowl and leave the crispy pancetta off to the side to cool.
Add the Champagne vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper to the pan drippings and whisk well.
Combine the radicchio, kale, apples and pecans in a large bowl.
Toss while adding the dressing, little by little, until the salad is well dressed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with crispy pancetta.
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Kale, Apple and Pancetta Salad
This flavor-packed autumn salad, with kale, radicchio, and a zingy maple vinaigrette, will have even the biggest salad skeptics coming back for more!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- ¼ cup Champagne vinegar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small head radicchio, shredded
- 1 (8-ounce) bunch kale, stems discarded, leaves shredded
- 2 tart-yet-sweet apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, sliced into thin matchsticks
- ¾ cup pecans, toasted if desired
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil and pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until pancetta is golden and crispy. Strain the pan drippings into a medium bowl and leave the crispy pancetta off to the side to cool. Add the vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper to the pan drippings and whisk well.
- Combine the radicchio, kale, apples and pecans in a large bowl. Toss while adding the dressing, little by little, until the salad is well dressed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with crispy pancetta.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 541
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 24 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 363 mg
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Do you do anything to the apples to prevent them from turning brown before adding to the salad?
Hi Karen, The vinaigrette keeps the apples fresh, so long as you don’t make the salad too far in advance.
Looks delicious. Any recommendations on a chicken dish that would pair with this?
Hi Jen, I think either of these recipes would work well:
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pecan-crusted-chicken-tenders-with-honey-mustard-sauce.html
https://www.onceuponachef.com/2009/08/parmesan-crusted-chicken.html
This was delicious. I’ll exclude the pancetta next time- the salad was delicious without it!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I picked up my aunt Jeanie and stopped by Colandras bakery in Newark. Got a nice loaf of Pamella and some Ciabatta. We made the salad. It is so 5 star! Bless you.
Delicious! I will be making this salad again and again. In the past two weeks I have tried three of your recipes and loved all of them! Keep them coming!
I made this salad for my family and it was a big hit. I will definitely be making this again. Oh and since we aren’t big on pecans I substituted dry roasted sunflower seeds.
Just wanted to add to the chorus….yummy beyond.belief! I don’t usually care for kale but this has made a believer out of me. Made me a star at a recent dinner party!
This has become one of my favorite recipes and a great choice for company. I decided to make this after picking apples at a local orchard and needing to use up some kale. Be sure to use real maple syrup and champagne vinegar – go buy some at a specialty market if you must. The dressing really stands out in this recipe so substitutions WILL change the final flavor.
I didn’t think I liked radicchio but the combination of flavors here was just perfect. Definitely keeping this one in my recipe box.
I look forward to trying this recipe because it sounds delicious plus it’s healthy for the most part. I really enjoy receiving your recipes in my in-box. The recipes are amazing and definitely a change of pace.
Blessings!
This was very delicious. I ended up only using one apple, maybe my apples were larger than the ones used here. I also used a SweeTango apple, which despite the silly name is one of my favorite apples. It’s a bit tarter than Honeycrisp. The only thing I would say is the dressing was a little too sweet for me, but I probably used too much anyway. This is definitely a recipe I will make again.